I'm more than certain that getting two young children through a 15-and-a-half-hour flight to Africa is nothing short of a hellacious experience. Even as a six-year-old child, with no patience or bladder stamina.the tedious flight was made more than worth it when I saw an elephant in the wild for the first time.
I felt pure bliss during the entirety of my first safari experience. I would get up at 6 o'clock in the morning, despite the jet lag exhaustion, and scurry to the safari campfire for a cup of tea and some biscuits with my little brother before our morning game drive.
Why would a six-year-old drink tea? When your Zimbabwean father sets the example of daily early morning and afternoon tea, you tend to want to be like your dad.
One incredible wildlife experience after the other. I was hooked. Lions, leopards, and giraffes were even more magnificent than in the children's books we were read every night before bed. Africa was a place I never wanted to leave for the animals, the incredibly warm and welcoming people, and breath-taking landscapes. The cheeky baboons danced in my head for
the long flight home. I remember sleeping almost the entire flight, content and warm with all my epic memories I would dream about for months.
Fast forward ten years later and I am on a horseback safari in Botswana. All the magical feelings come swirling back just as they did the first time. We come cantering up on a large herd of wildebeests. There is one that seems to be falling behind as the herd takes off in response to the group of horses coming out of the bush. After one second, a baby hits the ground. After two seconds, the baby is up. After three seconds the mother and newborn are catching up to the herd. I was stunned to say the least. If the saying "hit the ground running' was a moment, that would be it.
A few days after our return state-side, I walk into the Bushtracks Expeditions office which at the time was a garage building just 30 feet from our house. My father was on the phone with a client telling him about their recent trip, both giggling every few seconds. As a 16-year-old without a single clue of what to do with my life, I felt clarity in that moment. I wanted to help people feel the joy that I did when experiencing Africa. I wanted to help parents give that experience to their children and to themselves.
Fast forward again to my early 20s, I am working for my father's company, Bushtracks Expeditions. I get to help others experience the joy that Africa brings. I am living the dream. What is so special about Bushtracks is that the staff is extraordinarily family-like.
Granted, some members have known me since I was in diapers. But I think that it says something that some staff members have even been around that long.
If you're wanting to explore Africa, but have idea how to get started, Bushtracks has a wonderful, caring staff that will iron out every single detail. Know that our team is comprised of people like me who only want to share the joy we have experienced for ourselves. I hope to help you and your family share in the joy that is Africa.